tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9194181216717132105.post9148474908769389736..comments2017-07-24T22:44:38.535+01:00Comments on Borders Family History Society: A Black Sheep in the Family ?Peter Munrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076063723948804705noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9194181216717132105.post-11351076853714545942010-10-02T09:45:46.170+01:002010-10-02T09:45:46.170+01:00Niall,
Thanks for your comment. You make some ver...Niall, <br />Thanks for your comment. You make some very good points, particularly in referring to ancestors&#39; behaviour and occupations, &quot;I&#39;m none of those things so why should it bother me.&quot;<br /><br />However, we&#39;re only human. It certainly bothers me that one of my ancestors was a slaver, in that he was the captain of a ship that transported people to the Caribbean to be slaves. No doubt, in the ethos of the time, many people saw him as a successful businessman and a professional sea-officer. I&#39;m still hoping the ship&#39;s log books may turn up in an archive somewhere.Peter Munronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9194181216717132105.post-62922046782936725712010-09-30T09:53:46.301+01:002010-09-30T09:53:46.301+01:00Certainly sites such as those mentioned should be ...Certainly sites such as those mentioned should be allowed, any site that enables us to unravel our past should be welcomed, even if we aren&#39;t exactly happy with the results.<br />Should we associate ourselves with criminal and lunatic ancestors? That&#39;s more difficult and is very much a personal decision. I would agree with you that if you are writing publically about something which might cause offence you should tone it down, especially if the subject lived fairly recently.<br />As to whether the fear of what you might find should put you off researching then NO, it shouldn&#39;t. You are an individual who has been shaped by your experiences and those around you. If while researching you find out that an ancestor was Jack the Ripper, how has that affected your personality, it may in the future but how could it affect what you are if you didn&#39;t know about it?<br />I readily admit to having ancestors who committed suicide, were alcoholics and died in asylums, so what I&#39;ve also got leading temperance people, prominent hotel keepers, baillies, doctors, a missionary and a moderator of the CofS somewhere in my tree. I&#39;m none of those things so why should it bother me.<br />I&#39;m not responsible for my ancestors but I do feel I have a responsibilty to future generations therefore :-<br />WHY is the key word? Trying to understand why our ancestors were like they were is much more interesting and important.Niall Scotthttp://rankine-scott.me.uknoreply@blogger.com